Apple to Partner With Hermes For New Apple Watch Bands and Watch Faces
Today at its “Hey Siri” event, Apple announced a partnership with Hermes to create a special Apple Watch collection called Apple Watch Hermes. The new collection will feature three brand new bands and watch faces.
The three leather bands come in three different styles: a leather double loop that wraps around the wrist twice, a buckle and a simple and more classic-looking watch band. The three watch faces reflect Hermes’ branding. Apple Watch Hermes will launch in October. It’s currently unknown how much Apple Watch Hermes will retail for.
Apple Launching A9X-Based 12.9″ iPad Pro in November for $799+
Apple today announced the iPad Pro at its “Hey Siri” media event in San Francisco. The 12.9-inch tablet has a resolution of 2732×2048, which is 5.6 million pixels — more than any iOS device and even the MacBook Pro with Retina display.
iPad Pro compared side by side with iPad Air 2
The iPad Pro has a 64-bit A9X processor that delivers up to 1.6 times faster performance over the iPad Air 2, with up to twice as fast graphics. Apple also says the tablet has 80% faster performance and 90% faster graphics over portable PCs, allowing users to run apps such as iMovie with desktop-class performance.
The iPad Pro measures 6.9mm thick and weighs 1.57 pounds. The tablet features a four-speaker audio system — two speakers on each side — that balance frequencies and put out up to three times the audio level of the iPad Air 2.
Apple introduced two accessories for the iPad Pro. The first is a Microsoft Surface-like Smart Keyboard, which is built into a Smart Cover accessory and connects magnetically to the iPad Pro’s new three-dot Smart Connector. The second is Apple Pencil, a stylus built using technology that can detect position, tilt and force.
Apple Pencil also calculate angle and orientation to produce both broad or shaded strokes. The Pencil also enables precision that allows artists to touch a single pixel. Apple says the Pencil’s battery lasts for hours and that it can charge by connecting to the iPad Pro’s lighting charger.
Apple Pencil will retail for $99 while the Smart Keyboard will retail for $169. Both will be available alongside the new iPad Pro.
iPad Pro launches in November in silver, space gray and gold, starting at $799 for a 32GB Wi-Fi only model. A 128GB Wi-Fi only model will cost $949 and a Wi-Fi + LTE 128GB model will cost $1,079.
This story is developing. Refresh for the latest updates from Apple’s September 2015 media event or follow our live blog.
Apple Announces Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil for New iPad Pro
Today at its “Hey Siri” special event, Apple announced two brand new accessories for its newly-announced iPad Pro. The Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil both allow iPad Pro users to have more tactile experiences for more heavy-duty work that a touch-screen alone can’t sustain.
The Smart Keyboard comes built into a Smart Cover and uses the Smart Dome Switch from the MacBook, which means that the keys click down evenly from wherever you hit them. The keys are covered by an Apple-woven fabric. The Keyboard connects to the iPad Pro via a new magnetic connector called the Smart Connector, which can transmit both data and power at the same time.
The Apple Pencil is built using technology that can detect position, tilt and force. It can also calculate angle and orientation to produce both broad or shaded strokes. The Pencil also enables precision that allows artists to touch a single pixel. Apple says the Pencil’s battery lasts for hours and that it can charge by connecting to the iPad Pro’s lighting charger.
The Apple Pencil will retail for $99 while the Smart Keyboard will retail for $169. Both will be available in November alongside the new iPad Pro.
This story is developing. Refresh for the latest updates from Apple’s September 2015 media event or follow our live blog.
Apple Introduces Cooperative Play for ‘Crossy Road’ Among Other Games for Apple TV
At Apple’s media event in San Francisco today, Apple announced an App Store for the new Apple TV that plans to bring unique gaming experiences into a user’s living room. The first experience the company showcased was a co-op Crossy Road experience that lets one player use the new Apple TV remote and another to use an iPhone or iPad to control various characters in the game.
Apple also showcased a new game from Harmonix, the studio behind Rock Band and Dance Central, called “Beats Sports” which takes a “Wii Sports” angle on the music rythm game genre. Harmonix confirmed that up to four players will be able to play the game simultaneously with the use of an iPhone or an iPod Touch, similar to Crossy Road’s co-operative play.
This story is developing. Refresh for the latest updates from Apple’s September 2015 media event or follow our live blog.
Live from Apple’s iPhone event!
It’s early September and Apple’s invited us to one of its famous keynote addresses out in California, and that can only mean one thing: a new iPhone. (Or two, even, if you ask nicely.) And if the rumor mill is to be believed, we may see way more than just a new handset: anything from a refreshed, pricier Apple TV to a supersized iPad Pro. Of course, the rumor mill has steered us wrong in the past, so we don’t really know if there’ll be an Apple TV, new iPads or a new 4K iMac. But if nothing else, we know this for sure: There will be iPhones. Bookmark this liveblog link and come back today at 1pm ET for the full blow-by-blow.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Misc, Home Entertainment, Laptops, Tablets, HD, Mobile, Apple
Tags: apple, hdpostcross, iphone2015, liveblog, mobilepostcross, uk-feature
Apple’s first major Watch update arrives September 16
The iPhone 6s might be what most people are waiting for (or that iPad Pro), but that doesn’t mean Apple Watch owners aren’t getting any attention. As expected, Cupertino just confirmed the first (significant) software update for the wearable will arrive this week — September 16th.
The big talking point when we first heard about watchOS 2, was the ability for third-party (non-Apple) apps to run directly on the watch, and not rely on the phone. Two we saw on stage at the event included a dedicated Facebook Messenger app, and a GoPro viewfinder from the action-cam maker. These apps, made for the new watchOS shouldn’t suffer any lag, and, more importantly be able to take advantage of all the unique hardware the Watch has — the Crown and health sensors, for example. One example demoed on stage with a medical app called AirStrip.
Other goodies in the update include new watch face options, like using one of your photos, and include widgets (or “complications as Apple calls them) from those aforementioned third-party apps. There’s also a nightstand mode that adds alarm-clock functions (snooze etc,), plus the ability to use store cards and points with Apple Pay and access to more Siri features. There’s even more going on that we won’t comb over here, but be sure we’ll have a full rundown soon. But, for now, the waiting game is (nearly) over.
Filed under:
Cellphones, Wearables, Mobile, Apple
Tags: apple, applewatch, cupertino, iphone2015, iphone6s, mobilepostcross, watchos, watchos2
This is Apple’s iPad Pro
“Today we have the biggest news in iPad since the iPad,” says Apple CEO Tim Cook. That’s right: Apple has just announced the iPad Pro, and it’s definitely the biggest iPad yet. It has everything the iPad Air 2 offers, and a little extra on top. Rather than talking about their similarities, though, let’s look at the differences. Slideshow-318379
The iPad Pro has a giant 12.9-inch display with 2,732 x 2,048 pixels. To put that size into perspective, that means the screen is almost exactly the same width as the regular iPad’s is tall. It’s also, in case you didn’t run the math, got the same familiar 4:3 iPad aspect ratio and a functionally identical pixel density to the iPad Air. Apple says it’s so big the on-screen keyboard is “full-sized,” like on its laptops.
The larger panel, Apple hopes, will be ideal for the new multitasking additions to iOS 9, which let you run apps side-by-side, or in a split view and “pop-over” video. Of course, you can do that on an iPad Air 2, but thanks to the larger screen the apps will look more like they do on a regular iPad. It also frees up some extra space around the display, which Apple has decided use to include four speakers up front. Hopefully they sound good, and this’ll be a great high-def movie machine.
Powering the iPad Pro is Apple’s latest SoC (system on a chip), the A9X. As you’d expect, it’s an upgrade over the iPad Air 2’s A8X in every way, with double the memory bandwidth and graphics performance. Apple says it’s faster than 80 percent of “portable PCs” sold in the past year. One thing Apple isn’t saying how much RAM the Pro has, but chances are its silence on the matter means that it’s the same 2GB as the Air 2.
Despite the larger display and increased power, the new iPad will apparently run for 10 hours on a charge.
But wait, there’s more! There are also a number of new accessories. But before we get to that, a quote — one you’ll probably hear a lot on social media over the coming weeks:
“It’s like we said on the iPad, if you see a stylus, they blew it. In multitasking, if you see a task manager… they blew it.”
Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder
That’s right, Apple has announced a stylus, called Pencil. Okay, so it’s a little unfair to evoke that Jobs quote. He was clearly talking about a stylus as a primary interface tool, rather than an optional accessory, which is exactly what this is. But a writer can’t resist a good egg-on-face quote. Slideshow-318382
The new stylus, then — what does it do? It does lots of things. Unlike the capacitive third-party styli for previous iPads, the Pencil is truly pressure sensitive, behaving more like a Galaxy Note or a Wacom unit. It’s also got some sensors inside for detecting position, force and tilt. It’ll be great, Apple says, for drawing, annotating, and other stuff that most people do with pens. Apple was joined on stage by Microsoft (yup), which showed off how well the new accessory works with its Office suite.
Oh, and it charges from the iPad’s Lightning port. At least you’ll never lose the cable?
Developing…
Source:
Engadget Liveblog
Tags: apple, iphone2015
Apple unveils the speedy A9X processor
New iOS devices usually mean new processors, and sure enough, Apple has taken the wraps off of some fresh silicon. The A9X in the iPad Pro is a doozy, packing up to 80 percent better performance than the A8X from the iPad Air 2. It’s a champ beyond raw computational power, too, with twice the graphics and storage performance as well as double the memory bandwidth. Supposedly, the A9X is more powerful than 80 percent of portable PCs released in the past year — that’s a bold claim that we’ll want to verify for ourselves, but it’s certainly promising.
Developing…
Filed under:
Cellphones, Mobile, Apple
Tags: a9, a9x, apple, iphone2015, iphone6s, iphone6splus, mobilepostcross, processor
Apple reveals new Watch bands including a leather Hermes model
Apple is trying to put a bit more style and choice into it’s Watch, and has just announced a gaggle of new bands for its wearable. The company partnered with French luxury goods maker Hermes to create a new hand-stitched leather model (above) that might appeal to folks looking for something more classic than a plastic or metal band. To complete the effect, Hermes has also revealed a new Watch face. That might be a bit pricey (Apple didn’t say how much it would cost), but Cupertino also revealed several more affordable models.
On top of the new bands, there are new rose gold and anodized aluminum Sport Watches that will run the same price as the existing Sports models ($349). You can also get a special edition stainless steel “Product Red” Watch, with a portion of the sales proceeds going to fight AIDS. We don’t have prices yet for many of the stainless steel models, but as mentioned, the rose gold and anodized aluminum Sport Watches will cost the same as the existing aluminum Sports lineup. We’ll update as soon as we get the rest of the prices, so stay tuned.
Tags: apple, Hermes, iPhone2015, Watch
Apple’s iPad Pro accessories include a Smart Keyboard and Pencil stylus
Apple’s larger iPad Pro is aimed at suits and other creative professionals that want to get work done. Although its 12.9-inch display offers plenty of pixels for your fingers to poke at, the company is also offering a standalone keyboard and stylus accessories. The latter is called the Pencil — while you’re scribbling on the display, Apple says the panel will refresh twice as fast to record your input with the utmost accuracy. The stylus can also be used simultaneously with your finger, allowing for deft smudges in illustrative and note-taking apps. Pencil’s internal battery lasts for “hours of use,” Apple claims, and can be connected directly to the iPad Pro whenever you need to charge it back up again.
Slideshow-318382
The “Smart Keyboard,” meanwhile, attaches to the iPad Pro via a new connector on the side of the tablet. It’s called a Smart Connector, looks like three small buttons and just “slides in,” according to Apple. It contains a full QWERTY keyboard and each individual key has the same butterfly key technology found in the original 12-inch Macbook.
Developing…
Tags: apple, ipad, IpadPro, iphone2015, keyboard, stylus
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